Crossing Jordan
Adrian Fogelin
Peachtree Publishers 2000
Twelve-year-old Cassie’s father builds a fence when an African-American girl, Jemmie,
and her family move in next door. The two girls discover they share many interests but
their families forbid the growing friendship. A crisis provides an opportunity for the
families to reach an understanding.
__________________
LANGUAGE ARTS:
Have students tell an incident in the story from the perspective of a character other than
twelve-year-old Cassie.
Have students write an essay interpreting the use of the title phrase “Crossing Jordan” and
relating it to its origin – a code used by slaves to mean reaching freedom.
ART:
Design a running suit for Cassie and Jemmie’s race.
MUSIC:
Learn the old spiritual “Crossing Jordan.”
SOCIAL STUDIES:
Research the Underground Railroad. Explore stories from slaves that escaped slavery via
the Railroad.
GUIDANCE
Discuss friendship and the qualities the students value in a friend. Have students who are
willing share their experience of having a friend who is different from them and reflect on
how outsiders may have reacted to this friendship.
Teachers may want to use this book as a part of a unit on race relations.
SCIENCE:
Have students research the importance of the design of running shoes. Let students design
their own pair.
Title: Virgie goes to school with us Boys
Author: Elizabeth Fitzgerald Howard and Tony Diterlizzi
Illus. Earl B. Lewis
ISBN: 0689800762
Summary: In the days after the Civil War called Reconstruction, Virgie a
young black girl wants to go to school with her brothers. At this time it is
almost unheard of for girls to go to school and receive an education.
Virgie, though, is very determined to go. She walks the boys through the
woods to get to school and it is a little scary for them all because it is early
in the morning and it is still dark. She suggests they sing and so they do
and it passes the time and before they know it they are in town ready for
school. Virgie is impressed with town but more importantly she is
impressed with the school. Starting the next fall Virgie goes to school with
her brothers and is in awe of everything.
Other Books:
Heaven, by Angela Johnson
In the Time of Drums, by Kim L. Siegleson
Back Home, by Gloria Pinkney
Mirandy and Brother Wind, by Patiricia McKissack
Social Studies:Learn how people used to dress and see how people were
treated.
Black History Month: This books would be good for this month to show
people were treated but also to persevere and follow your dream.
Booktalk: In the days after the Civil War called Reconstruction, Virgie a
young black girl wants to go to school with her brothers. At this time it is
almost unheard of for girls to go to school and receive an education.
Virgie, though, is very determined to go. She walks the boys through the
woods to get to school and it is a little scary for them all because it is early
in the morning and it is still dark. She suggests they sing and so they do
and it passes the time and before they know it they are in town ready for
school. Virgie is impressed with town but more importantly she is
impressed with the school. Starting the next fall Virgie goes to school with
her brothers and is in awe of everything.
The Battlefield Ghost
Summary (from back of book)
John wasn't happy about moving. His family's new house is nowhere near his best
friend's house or his school, and it's really run-down. But on top of all that, John and his
sister, Lisa, keep feeling the touch of an invisible hand.
Then they come face to face with the ghost himself—a Revolutionary War soldier, who
pleads for their help in solving the problem that has kept him restless all these years.
Are John and Lisa brave enough to try?
Related Readings
The Ghost Cadet by Elaine Alphin
The Riddle of Pencroft Farm by Dorthea Jensen
The Fighting Ground by Avi
Guns for General Washington by Seymour Reit
Sleds on Boston Commons by Louise Borden
Redcoats and Petticoats by Katherine Kirkpatrick
Samuel's Choice by Richard Berleth
Curriculum Tie-Ins
Social Studies
America's War for Independence
Writing
Art
(George Washington Crossing the Delaware)
Legends
Internet sites
George Washington Crossing the Delaware
http://www.metmuseum.org/explore/gw/el_gw.htm
Washington Crossing State Park
http://www.state.nj.us/dep/forestry/parks/washcros.htm
Battle of Trenton
http://www.state.nj.us/state/history/trenton.html
Princeton Battlefield State Park
http://www.state.nj.us/dep/forestry/parks/prince.htm
Battles of Trenton and Princeton
http://www.10crucialdays.com/
BOOK TALK
Nobody likes to move, especially into a haunted house. So John was not the least bit
interested in the new house, although it had been around during America's war for
independence. Well, John discovered that the stories about the house and its ghost were
more than just stories. He sensed the touch of something invisible. Soon his sister, Lisa,
also felt the touch of the ghost. Because their parent don't believe in ghosts, John and
Lisa finally come up with their own plan to meet the ghost, a Hessian soldier, late on the
eve of January 3, the anniversary of the Battle of Princeton. Will John and Lisa be able to
stay awake long enough to meet the ghost? Will they be able to go through with their
plan when the time comes? Read The Battlefield Ghost by Margery Cuyler to find out.
Vision of Beauty:
The Story of Sarah Breedlove Walker
Kathryn Lasky
Candlewick Press, 2000
unp.
SUMMARY:
This is a biography of Sarah Breedlove Walker (Madam C.J. Walker) who pioneered in
creating beauty products for black women. In overcoming poverty and becoming a
successful business woman, she proved that if something can be envisioned, with hard
work, it can be achieved.
RELATED READINGS:
She Wanted to Read: The Story of Mary McLeod Bethune Ella Kaiser Carruth
Five Notable Inventors Wade Hudson
Great Woman in the Struggle Toyomi Igus
Wilma Unlimited: How Wilma Rudolph Became the World’s Fastest Woman Kathleen
Krull
Harriet Tubman John Rowley
Minty:a Story of Young Harriet Tubman Alan Schroeder
CURRICULUM TIE-INS:
Women’s History Month
Black History Month
Career Education
Character Education: Hard work, Perseverance, Achievement
Inventors
Inventions
INTERNET SITES:
Character Education Http://www.charactercounts.org/defsix.htm
Kathryn Lasky Http://www.xensei.com/users/newfilm/homelsk.htm
Inventors Http://web.mit.edu/invent/www/inventorsA-H/AAweek3.html
Career Information Http://www.bls.gov/oco/
BOOK TALK:
Have you ever had a problem and wished you could do something about it? Well, Sarah
Breedlove Walker had a problem. Instead of sitting back and doing nothing, she worked
hard on her problem until she solved it. As a result of solving her problem, she became
quite wealthy and was able to help others. Read about this amazing woman who was a
role model for all of us.
Prepared by Lois Stroud
Good Luck, Mrs. K!
LouiseBorden
Illustratedby Adam Gustavson
Margaret K.McElderry Books, 1999
Summary:
Mrs. Kempszinski—“Mrs. K.” to her third-grade students—is everyone’s favorite teacher. Everyday with
Mrs. K is different and everyday is fun. Mrs. K. knows sign language, celebrates Worm Day, and performs
“homework dances”. One day a substitute arrives to take Mrs. K’s place and nothing is the same. Mrs. K is
in the hospital with cancer. When will she be back?
RelatedReadings:
What is Cancer Anyway? ExplainingCancer to Children of All Ages. Karen L Carney
Tickles Tabitha’s Cancer-tankerous Mommy. Amelia Frahm
Miss Nelson is Missing and Miss Nelson is Back. Harry Allard
Miss Malarkey Won’t Be In Today. Judy Finchler
Jamaica and the Substitute Teacher. Juanita Havill
No More Nasty. Amy MacDonald
CurriculumTie-Ins:
Health
Science-Worms
Geography
Sign Language
Letter writing
BookTalk:
Ann Zesterman loves her third grade teacher Mrs. Kempszinski. “Say it like this. . . KEMP-CHIN-SKI!''
the exuberant Mrs. K. counsels her students on the first day of school, and Ann takes the advice to heart,
saying her teacher'sname over and over, as a litany. Mrs. K. knows sign language, celebrates Worm Day,
and performs “homework dances” . The students love the dances so much, that everyone does their work
on time. Mrs. K. has more than one homework dance—the Cha-cha, the Long Division Dance and the Fan
Dance to name a few. Ann loves everything about Mrs. Kempczinski, and under her enthusiastic tutelage
the class learns ``a zillion facts about planets and penguins, poems and worms.'' One day the third graders
are explorers learning about faraway places. Other days, they are poets or scientists or astronauts.
One day, Mrs. Kempczinski isn't at school,and Ann and the other children learn that she has cancer. This
tender tale ends on a touching but upbeat note with Mrs. Kempczinski coming back for a visit. But will she
ever come back to take her students on wonderful adventures again? Based on a true story, and narrated by
nine-year old Ann, the book is not only a celebration of wonderful teachers everywhere but is also an
honest and forthright story addressing concerns of old and young alike.
Little Wolf’s Book of Badness
By Ian Whybrow
Carlrhoda Books, Minneapolis: 2000
(Go back to the top of the page.)
Summary: Little Wolf has been behaving too courteously, so his parents send him to his
uncle’s Big Bad Wolf school to learn to be a proper wolf.
Subjects: Wolves, Fiction
Behavior, Fiction
Uncles, Fiction
What to read after Little Wolf’s Book of Badness:
Little Wolf’s Haunted Hall of Horrors by Ian Whybrow
Little Wolf, Forest Detective by Ian Whybrow
The Three Little Pigs by Paul Galdone
Curriculum Connections
Science:
Conduct a study of wolves and their characteristics. Compare the scientific characteristics
to the way wolves are portrayed in fiction stories.
Social Studies:
Research ways that man and modern progress have encroached on areas that are homes
for wolves and the problems that occur. What are some solutions?
Geography:
Little Wolf follows a map to find Uncle’s school. Have children draw their own map and
plot Little Wolf’s progress as they read the story.
Spelling:
Little Wolf has trouble spelling. Have children use a dictionary to find the correct way to
spell the words he misspells.
Language Arts:
The letter Little Wolf writes on day 17 is a good introduction to rhyming poetry. Have
children write their own rhymes.
Have students write their own letters pretending that they are either “Yeller” or Mum or
Dad replying to Little Wolf.
The story is about the “rules of badness” that Little Wolf learns along the way. The
children can try to predict the rules as they read.
Art:
Students can design their own wanted poster for Uncle Big Bad, using adjectives to
describe him.
Internet Connections:
National Geographic: Geoguides - Wolves
http://www.nationalgeographic.com/resources/ngo/education/geoguide/wolves/
Wolves and our National Parks
http://www.npca.org/wildlife_protection/wildlife_facts/wolf.asp
The Composition
by
Antonio Skarmeta
(Go back to the top of the page.)
Summary: When nine-year-old Pedro goes to school, a soldier from his country’s
dictatorship orders the students to write a composition about the nighttime activities of
their families.
Subjects:
Totalitarianism-Fiction
Dictators-Fiction
What to read after The Composition:
Number the Stars by Lois Lowry
The Diary of Anne Frank by Anne Frank
Available autobiographies about Anne Frank
Curriculum Connections
Guidance:
Discuss the character trait of loyalty towards friends and family.
Language Arts: Students research a country that has a totalitarian form of government.
Write an essay about what life would be like for people living under such a regime.
Social Studies: Students use a Venn diagram to compare and contrast the democratic
form of government with the totalitarian form of government.
The Kite Fighters
By Linda Sue Park
Clarion c2000
136 pages
Summary
Taking place during the 15th century in Korea, two brothers learn about sibling rivalry,
honor, and place in the family, while enjoying the company of the boy king and kite
flying.
Curriculum tie-ins
Social studies : world and culture studies
English language arts : writing prompt on sibling rivalry
Art : designing kites
PE : kite flying
Science : wind currents / weather
Math : exact measurements
Booktalk
Young-sup can launch a kite every time, standing in one position. His older brother,
Kee-sup has trouble even when running down a hill. Kee-sup is the not only an older
brother, but one who is to be respected since he has been through his capping ceremony.
Young-sup feels the pangs of jealousy and sibling rivalry since he is not the one chosen
to go to honor the ancestors in the mountains. Other incidents make Young-sup feel
slighted. And yet Kee-sup does not know what it is like to treat the King as an equal.
The boy king met the brothers while they were kite flying. The king admired their
talents, both in flying and designing of the kite. After asking Kee-sup to design a kite fit
for a king, the king often visits the hillside to learn how to kite fly with Young-sup and
wishes to be treated as a brother would be treated, even down to the insults such as “Pigbrain.”
When the king commands Young-sup to fly the newly designed kite in the kite fighting
contest, Kee-sup must make a decision to speak to their father about the honor that would
be brought to the family if Young-sup flew the kite, although it by rights is Kee-sup’s
duty to fly the kite.
Internet sites:
Kites and Kite Flying:
http://www.geocities.com/Colosseum/4569/history.htm
Kites in China.
http://www.art.unt.edu/ntieva/artcurr/japan/kites.htm
History of kites in Japan and other parts of the world.
http://www.gombergkites.com/update/04a.html
A kite flying convention with photos.
http://www.januarymagazine.com/kidsbooks/kitefighters.html
Review of the book
http://www.lindasuepark.com/
About the author
Related readings:
Galouchko, Annouchka Gravel. Sho and the demons of the deep. Firefly Books, c1995.
Picture book, good review from Kirkus.
Yolen, Jane. The Emperor and the Kite. Philomel, c1988.
Demi. Kites: Magic Wishes That Fly Up to the Sky. Crown, c1999.
Clima, Shirley. The Korean Cinderella. Harper Collins, c1993.
Haskins, James. Count Your Way Through Korea. Carolrhoda, c1989.
Park, Linda Sue. Seesaw Girl. Clarion, c1999.
I Hate Weddings
By P.J. Petersen
Summary: Dan’s weekend with his dad goes from bad to worse. He is there for his
father’s wedding and meets his new step-siblings for the first time. Dan keeps making
mistakes around his new step-mother and he begins to think that he’ll never get to see his
father again after that weekend. Even after all the mishaps leading up to and through the
wedding, Dan finds a place within his father’s new family.
Related Readings:
The Suitcase Kid by Jacqueline Wilson
Her Blue Straw Hat by C.S. Adler
Boundless Grace by Mary Hoffman
Curriculum tie-ins:
Family life
Self-esteem
Dealing with difficult situations
Traveling alone
Stepfamilies
Character education
Internet Sites:
PJ Petersen's Web Page http://usawrites4kids.drury.edu/authors/petersen/
Step Ducks - The Ultimate Stepfamily http://stepduck.com/
Booktalk: Dan is a boy who hates weddings. Now, he doesn’t just have to go to a
wedding, he has to be in one. And this wedding isn’t just any wedding, it is his father’s.
Along with getting a new step-mother, Dan is getting a new step-brother and sister.
Things go from bad to worse after Dan flies in. Although he has the best of intentions,
Dan just can’t seem to do anything right. He lies to the airline attendant at the airport
when it looks like his dad may have forgotten to pick him up. He leaves the house
through the bedroom window late at night with his new “little brother” to get pizza.
Then, to top it off, there’s a tarantula crawling up his new step-mother’s wedding dress
during the wedding. Dan believes that his relationship with his father is down the tubes.
As you read this book, you will laugh at the funny situations and agonize with Dan over
the problems they cause. Find out how Dan finally overcomes his fears of having a new
step-family in this wonderful book.
Miss Alaineus
By Debra Frasier
Summary: While home sick one week, Sage has to call a friend to get her homework
assignments. To her chagrin and the amusement of her teacher and classmates, she
misunderstood one of the vocabulary words assigned and made up her own definition.
Sage uses the incident to her advantage and becomes Miss Alaineus in the schoolwide
vocabulary contest and wins a trophy.
Related Readings:
Donovan’s Word Jar by Monalisa DeGross
Cassie’s Word Quilt by Faith Ringgold
Frindle by Andrew Clements
Oh, the Thinks You Can Think by Dr. Seuss
Curriculum tie-ins:
Vocabulary
Dealing with difficult situations
Imagination
Feelings
Internet Sites:
Fun With Words http://library.thinkquest.org/J0111282/
Merriam-Webster’s Word Game of the Day http://www.m-w.com/game/
Booktalk:
Sage, “one who shows wisdom, experience, judgment,” does not live up to the definition
of her name. While at home with a horrible cold, she calls a friend to get the vocabulary
homework. She defines all the words herself, without a dictionary. Unfortunately, the
one word her friend neglects to spell out for her is the one word on the list that Sage
doesn’t know. Sage’s attempt in defining ‘miscellaneous’ results in humiliation in the
classroom. However, with the school’s vocabulary contest looming, Sage turns her
classroom defeat into a schoolwide triumph. How does Sage turn around her humiliation
and win an award? Check it out in Miss Alaineus.
The Amazing Life of Benjamin Franklin
James Cross Giblin
Scholastic Press, 2000
SUMMARY:
Benjamin Franklin is an extrodinary man whose legacy has been equaled by few
Americans. This picture book biography gives students an interesting short history of
this brilliant man who was a printer, writer, inventor and statesman.
RELATED READINGS:
Aliki
The Many Lives of Benjamin Franklin.
Fritz, Jean
What’s the Big Idea, Ben Franklin?
Lawson, Robert Ben and Me.
Rudy, Lisa
The Ben Franklin Book of Easy and Incredible
Experiments/Activities, Projects and Science Fun.
CURRICULUM CONNECTIONS:
LANGUAGE ARTS:
Students choose a quote from Poor Richard’s Almanac and write a paragraph explaining
what the quote means to them.
Students look up Franklin’s Epitaph he wrote at 22 for his tombstone. By the time he
actually died at 84, he had changed his mind. Students read his epitaph and write their
own, including what they will have accomplished by the age of 22.
SOCIAL STUDIES:
Search the internet for The Freedom Trail, Boston, MA. Find the statue of Benjamin
Franklin. What is significant about this statue? What is significant about the site?
Search the internet for a virtual tour of Historic Philadelphia. Find the map of
Philadelphia’s Historic District and identify the building across from Franklin’s gravesite.
SCIENCE:
Benjamin Franklin invented many useful things including the lightning rod. Investigate
the science of lightning through an investigation of static electricity, how lightning rods
protect buildings, why you see lightning before you hear thunder, why you see
“lightning” when you remove your wool sweater in winter, and how aircraft survive
lightning strikes.
MUSIC:
Do research to find out the name of the unusual musical instrument Benjamin Franklin
played?
MATH:
People throw coins on Benjamin Franklin’s gravestone in remembrance of a quote
attributed to Franklin, “A penny saved is a penny earned.” If Ben saved a penny every
day for a year, and then deposited the money in a savings account which earned 5%
annually, how much would he have in the bank after one year?
BOOK TALK:
“He that lieth down with dogs shall rise up with fleas.” This quote and many more are
attributed to one of the most influential men in American history, Benjamin Franklin.
This picture book presents a vivid portrait of Ben and colonial America. Students will be
amazed to find that Ben was one of seventeen children, and that he started work at ten.
The story includes references to his many civic contributions, and his inventions,
although, more emphasis is placed on his many years as a statesmen in London and Paris.
A particularly poignant part of the book is his estrangement from his son William, who
fought for the loyalists and launched raids against his fellow Americans. Ben was a true
patriot who played an important role in winning America’s freedom and writing the
Constitution. The back of the book includes pages of important dates, inventions, quotes,
historic sites, a bibliography and an index.
The Royal Bee
Frances Park and Ginger Park
Boyds Mills Press, 2000
32 pages
SUMMARY:
In the days when only wealthy Korean children were allowed to attend school, a poor boy named Song-ho
learns by listening outside a school. One day, the teacher allows him to join the class. Song-ho does so
well that he is chosen to represent the school in the Royal Bee – a yearly contest of knowledge.
RELATED READINGS:
A Fine, Fine School by Sharon Creech
Love That Dog by Sharon Creech
To Swim Across the World by Frances Park
Virgie Goes to School With Us Boys by Elizabeth Fitzgerald Howard
CURRICULUM TIE-INS:
Korea
School
Education
Poverty
INTERNET SITES:
Frances Park and Ginger Park
http://www.boydsmillspress.com/authors.tpl?command=showpage&authorid=0459
Book Review
http://www.ncte.org/pdfs/subscribers-only/la/0793-jan02/LA0793Children.pdf
Korea Kidsight
http://korea.insights.co.kr/english/forkid/
Korea (South Korea) Home Page
http://www.media.granite.k12.ut.us/Curriculum/Korea/index.htm
PBS Online: Hidden Korea
http://www.pbs.org/hiddenkorea/
BOOK TALK
Did you ever want something so badly that you’d do anything to get it? Song-ho wants to go to school and
learn to read and write. He hears the school bell ring and decides that he will listen outside the door of the
school and learn with the rich boys. One day the teacher catches him. What will happen? Will he have to
stop learning? Will the teacher let him in?
The Wish Master
Betty Ren Wright
Holiday House 2000
104 Pages
Summary:
Certain that his grandfather doesn’t want him around, Corby is unhappy when he and is
mother go to spend the summer in Wisconsin to help take care of his ailing grandmother,
until a boy takes him to the Wish Master.
Related Readings:
Thank You, Mr. Faulker
The Wish
Half Magic
The Night of Wishes
Takvorian
by: Patricia Polacco
by: Gail Carson Levine
by: Edward Eager
by: Michael Ende, Heike Schwarzbauer, and Rick
Curriculum Tie-Ins:
Self-Esteem
Friends
Grandparents
Wishes
Book Talk:
Corby is feeling very out of place at his grandparents’ house in Wisconsin. All he really
wants to do is go home. Corby feels his grandfather doesn’t like him as well as his dad or
his other cousins, and feels very awkward around him. Corby then meets Buck and
makes friends with him. Buck wants Corby to be more adventurous and go with him to
see the Wish Master. The Wish Master seems to grant the Corby’s wish, but he is not
really sure, so the boys go back and try again. When Corby thinks his wishes are causing
his grandmother’s illness to get worse, he tries to undo his wish and ends up in danger.
Corby learns a lot about his grandfather when he gets out of danger. Corby and his
grandfather start a bond on that night and begin to respect each other.
My Brother Made Me Do It
Peg Kehret
Minstrel Books 2000
130 Pages
Summary:
Hi. I'm Julie Welsh. My nine-year-old brother is always cooking up schemes...and I get
blamed. Because
I'm older. Eleven, to be exact. But Frankie has his good points too, as I told Mrs. Kaplan,
my 89-year-old
pen pal, who lives in Kansas. I write Mrs. Kaplan about everything. Even my secrets. She
was the first one I
told about my juvenile arthritis. Mrs. Kaplan understands. She has arthritis too. I was
feeling tired and achy
all the time, and discouraged. Then Mrs. Kaplan gave me ideas about running for student
council, and
though I could barely lift my legs, Frankie made me want to compete in a fun run. Just
when I thought my
life was a permanent time-out, you'll never believe what happened...
Related Readings:
Earthquake Terror
Secrets of Silver Valley
Can You Feel the Thunder
by: Peg Kehret
by: Zeno Zeplin and Judy Jones
by: Lynn McElfresh
Curriculum Tie-Ins:
Juvenile Arthritis
Disabilities
Courage
Friendship
Writing
Internet Sites:
Juvenile Rheumatoid Arthritis:
http://www.kidshealth.org/parent/medical/arthritis/jra.html
Book Talk:
Julie Welsh has several problems in her life. First of all there is her brother, Frankie. He
is always coming up with “ideas” that create problems for her. Next Julie learns that she
has Juvenile Rheumatoid Arthritis. This prevents her from doing a lot of the activities
that she enjoys. Finally, Julie has to figure out a way to not let JRA keep her from doing
the things she likes to do. She feels that she is letting her classmates down by not
participating in the Fun Run, until she finds the courage to try something new.
The Memory String
Eve Bunting
Clarion Books 2000
32 Pages
Summary:
While still grieving for her mother and unable to accept her stepmother, a girl clings to
the memories represented by forty-three buttons on a string.
Related Readings:
Flip-Flop Girl
The Turnabout Shop
The Lion’s Whiskers
The Quilt
Katherine Paterson
Colby Rodowsky
Nancy Raines Day
Ann Jonas
Curriculum Tie-Ins:
Grief
Stepmothers
Memories
Internet Sites:
Beyond Indigo:
Kidsaid:
Authors On Line:
http://www.death-dying.com/children/
http://kidsaid.com/
http://powaysd.sdcoe.k12.ca.us/pusdtes/Eve%20Bunting.htm
Book Talk:
My name is Laura and this is my memory string. My great-grandmother started this
string and passed it down to my grandmother, my mother and now it’s mine. Each button
represents a memory. This button came from my grandmother’s first party dress and this
one came from my mother’s nightgown. I like telling about my memory string especially
now that my mother has died. My father has remarried and I’m not too happy about it,
until one day when Jane, my stepmother, understands my feelings about my memory
string. To find out how we become good friends, read my story called The Memory
String by Eve Bunting.
Halmoni’s Day
Edna Coe Bercaw
Dial Books for Young Readers
2000
Summary:
Jennifer, a Korean American, is worried that her grandmother, visiting from Korea, will
embarrass her on her school’s Grandparents’ Day, but the event brings her understanding
and acceptance.
Related Readings:
Grandfather’s Journey
Walk Two Moons
Shoes from Grandpa
My Grandma Has Black Hair
Allen Say
Sharon Creech
Mem Fox
Mary Hoffman
Curriculum Tie-Ins:
Korea
Korean War
Grandparents/Family
Acceptance of Differences
Internet Sites:
Korea
http://www.koreascope.org/english/sub/1/index1.htm
http://www.curriculum.edu.au/accessasia/korea/kids.htm
Korean War http://korea50.army.mil/
Grandparents http://akidsheart.com/holidays/grand/grand.htm
Book Talk:
How many of you have entered that special place called “grandparents land?” Well, I
have (flip out strip of pictures of grandchildren). I now know why God created
parenthood-so we could become grandparents!
In the book Halmoni’s Day, Jennifer’s not so sure about her grandmother. Halmoni
(Korean for grandmother) is visiting from Korea and has arrived just in time for
Grandparents’ Day at school. Jennifer is nervous because Halmoni dresses differently
and doesn’t speak English. However, after Halmoni shares her memory story, Jennifer
accepts her grandmother as the special person she really is